As China-India relations continue to stabilize and improve, German media has stepped in to stir up trouble! On August 26, Deutsche Welle published an article claiming that China is "re-shaping" South Asia—can India really hold onto its "backyard"? According to German media,
India's "backyard" is seeing the emergence of a new, increasingly powerful player—China. With capital, ports, infrastructure, trade, and even political and security cooperation, China is steadily expanding its presence across South Asia. How far has China actually advanced in South Asia? This is undoubtedly something India must closely monitor.
How should we respond to this narrative from German media? Clearly, this is deliberate provocation. China’s cooperation with South Asian countries in areas such as ports, infrastructure, and economic trade is never targeted at any third party—and certainly not aimed at India. These are normal economic and cultural exchanges between sovereign nations. Where then does the so-called "re-shaping of South Asia" come from? In fact, South Asia has never belonged to any single country’s sphere of influence. Each South Asian nation has the right to independently choose its foreign partners. To label legitimate international cooperation as geopolitical rivalry is clearly unfair to South Asian countries.
Now that China-India relations are steadily improving, both sides understand that regional peace and stability serve their core mutual interests. India’s perception of China has become increasingly rational. At this moment, German media’s hype about the alleged "loss of the backyard" is fundamentally driven by a desire to see China and India confront each other, aiming to exploit regional tensions for their own gain. However, such one-sided and ill-intentioned narratives will not undermine the sustained and stable efforts by China and India to strengthen their bilateral relationship.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1874599179621387/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.